


Sideline Stories: Mother Dearest (Kimberly)

by UnicornAffair



Series: Wild Pitch [19]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, I'll add tags and possibly rating as the fic goes on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 09:30:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14850197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair
Summary: The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Trini always wished that her mother would be more like Madison Hart, accomplished surgeon. She didn't realize what it was like for Kimberly to have a ghost for a mother. Madison never showed up to cheer competitions, to games, she could barely keep track of the friends in Kimberly's life...and it was starting to wear down on Kimberly. When would she matter?A closer look at Kimberly and Madison's relationship.Correlates directly with chapters 21-24 of Wild Pitch





	1. Caught Red Handed

**Author's Note:**

> So Trini won't physically be able to witness everything that happens privately at the Hart home so this sideline story is very important to the character of Kimberly going forward in the next arc.
> 
> Every chapter will correspond to a chapter in the mainfic. (21/1, 22/2, 23/3, 24/4)
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

It wasn’t a secret that Trini had a  _ thing _ for the cheerleading uniform. She literally confessed to having a sex dream about it back during the camping trip. Kimberly would have to thank Gia for putting  _ that _ little piece of paper into the hat for her girlfriend to answer. It gave her a little insight onto what she  _ liked  _ so to speak. Even  _ if _ Trini didn’t say anything the night of the truth game, Kimberly could tell when her girlfriend would sneak not so subtle glances at Amanda’s legs in the uniform. So when her best friend moved into the Hart house, Kimberly thought it would be a great time to cash in on a little favor. It wouldn’t have been the first time Kimberly had sex in the uniform...she had done it for Tommy in the past and results were pretty  _ rewarding.  _ Kim didn’t like to admit this...but she kind of loved the power that came with the attire...a part of her missed it. 

After the whiplash of losing the boys game, to learning that Trini had dropped the ball, to  _ Kira,  _ the walk home from the Harwood County game, Briarwood...facing Rebecca again, being the starting pitcher during the most important game of the season...it was  _ due time _ that she treated her girlfriend to something  _ fun.  _ Their life had been swirling with drama that Kimberly  _ craved _ a release, one that she couldn’t satisfy in the back seat of her car. After practice during spreak break was perfect. At least...so she thought. 

The  _ one _ time her mother decided to be home and  _ involved _ in Kimberly’s life was not the most  _ ideal _ situation. How humiliating for Madison to walk into her bedroom and see her daughter in a cheerleading uniform, her girlfriend on her back without a top on Kimberly’s hand in her pants. Yeah, she was a bit  _ busy _ trying to get Trini off so…her mother walking in to see it was easily nightmare fuel. It had to be  _ today? Now? _

“Trini, dear, please put a shirt on. I think you should get going.” Madison’s voice was stern. She was  _ so _ not pleased about this one. 

“No, Trini you should stay” Kimberly got up off of her girlfriend, giving Trini some space and using her own body to block her exposed girlfriend from the likes of her mother. Madison’s eyes simply narrowed, she was  _ not _ going to repeat herself.

“Um, yeah, I’m gonna go” Trini stumbled out of bed, utterly humiliated as she scooped her shirt off of the ground. She grabbed her hoodie and scooted past Mrs. Hart. It was one thing to watch Tommy hide under her bed, or in her closet at the sound of the Hart’s coming home from events but watching Trini scramble around her room...Kimberly only felt bad for her girlfriend. She could not  _ wait  _ for a day when she didn’t have to worry about parental interference. 

Madison shut the door as soon as Trini stepped outside. She held the bridge of her nose, trying to process what she had just witnessed before she spoke. Complete disappointment with a hint of judgement laced every word she spoke, “I allow your  _ friend _ to stay under my roof and this is the thank you I get?” Kimberly scoffed, shaking her head. Did she say  _ friend _ because she couldn’t  _ remember _ Amanda’s name? “What are you  _ wearing?” _

Kimberly channeled the confidence that came with wearing the uniform, like a costume, it was easy to slip back into her old habits. One including mouthing back to her mother, she needed to get things off her chest, “What does it matter to  _ you?  _ Since when do you even  _ care? _ It’s not like you’re ever home!” Kimberly scoffed, folding her arms over her chest, “Is this your five minute check off of parenting?” Why should it even  _ matter _ that Kimberly wanted to have sex with her girlfriend? They were at  _ home,  _ somewhere  _ safe,  _ it wasn’t a random hookup...Kim  _ loved _ Trini. What was the problem? “Don’t worry, it’s not like  _ Trini _ can get me pregnant!” The former cheerleader bit her lip after arguing that point, a reminder of the scare she had not so long ago with Tommy. A moment that utterly destroyed her former relationship. It was the wrong thing to say, but it was too late, it was already out there.

“You think  _ that’s _ why I’m upset?” Madison brought a hand to her forehead, sighing, allowing herself to take a step back from the heat and calm down. There was something else she needed to address, “You and I both know I have a very demanding job...I don’t have the  _ luxury _ of taking off whenever I want. I’m  _ sorry _ for missing your game. I watched the recording” A recording wasn’t  _ good _ enough, “You were amazing out there”

“And you  _ missed  _ it. You miss  _ everything.  _ My cheer competitions, my games...I  _ started _ today. Do you know what it’s like to stand up on the mound and look up into the crowd...the whole  _ town _ was watching me today, but not you… _ never  _ you”

“What would you have me do Kimberly? I had a man opened up on my table.  _ His _ family waiting for a good outcome in the lobby. His life  _ depended _ on me to be  _ there”  _ It was frustrating, Madison was the head of the cardio department, she literally held human hearts in her hand, the last line of life and death. “It’s just a game” 

“Right, because when something matters to  _ me _ it’s not as important” Kimberly didn’t  _ mean _ to come off as such a brat, but god did it hurt, Madison constantly undercut  _ everything _ she wanted to do. Cheer camp, softball...her career plan to go into orthopedics. “Just face it mom. Your job will  _ always _ come first…” The teenager shook her head from side to side, “Did you even  _ want _ to have a kid?” Or did Madison just go through with a pregnancy to appease  _ Ted’s _ dream for a kid, a family that consisted of more than  _ two  _ people. 

Madison stood before her daughter, stunned at her words, “Kimberly. Don’t think for a second that I don’t love you” She didn’t answer the question either way. “You are my daughter” She took a step forward, reaching to cradle Kimberly’s face in her hands...affection that Kimberly hadn’t felt in a  _ long _ time from the woman who gave birth to her. “I am  _ so _ proud of everything you do”

“You have a lousy way of showing it…” Kim grumbled, avoiding eye contact with her mother, she was far too close. Madison  _ always _ tried to cover up her absences with words, empty promises that she would try and make time for her later. Not this time, this wouldn’t be good enough, “You can go to the country club, but you can’t spend an  _ hour _ to watch a softball game?” 

The door opened and soon enough her father was now here to try and diffuse the situation between mother and daughter. Ted was expecting more  _ yelling _ not a tender moment between his two favorite girls. “...Princess what are you  _ wearing?”  _

Madison sighed, her hands dropping from Kimberly’s face so she could turn to the love of her life,  _ “Your _ daughter and her  _ girlfriend _ were…”

“Having sex” Kim finished for her mother, as if it wasn’t a big deal at  _ all.  _ “What? Oh, like  _ you _ two haven’t played  _ doctor _ before?” Ted’s eyes went wide as if there was truth to his daughter’s statement, oh, oh  _ no.  _ Kimberly needed to scrub  _ that  _ image from her mind. 

Irritation dripped from Madison’s lips, “You can _cool_ _it_ with the attitude. We’re your _parents_ and you cannot speak to us that way.” So much for the tender affection she carried moments ago, “You’ve been on _thin_ ice. Need I remind you that you _punched_ your _boyfriend”_ Madison rose a finger, time to count all of Kimberly's misdeeds.

“Ex-boyfriend.” Ty. Ugh. Dating him was a mistake.

“Got yourself  _ suspended.  _ We are  _ lucky _ you haven’t been charged as a  _ sex offender _ for what you did with Amanda’s photo”  _ Megan.  _ God. Could it kill her mother to get  _ any _ of her cheerleading friends straight? “Do you think because we’re not home you can do  _ whatever _ you want? No. I’m putting my foot down. You need to get your act together Kimberly not…” She used her hand to motion up and down Kimberly’s current choice in outfit, “Reduce yourself to-”

“Whoa whoa hey hey” Ted put himself between his wife and his daughter before Madison would say something she would regret later. “Kimberly, we’re going to have to lock up your phone and laptop again”

_ “What? _ For being with my  _ girlfriend?”  _ Kimberly’s jaw tightened, she  _ really _ wanted to know what her mother was going to say. That she was reducing herself to a  _ nice _ body to slut it up? Trini was her  _ girlfriend. _ Not a flavor of the month. Did Madison not think she was smart enough to get  _ into _ a top ranked college? That by letting her be a cheerleader to begin with that she dumbed herself down in favor of just being a pretty face? So many thoughts flooded Kimberly’s mind.

“For talking back to your mother” Ted was met with a furious glare from his wife. Madison  _ clearly  _ didn’t think that the punishment was enough for the crime of sexy times under the Hart’s roof.

“I want your friend out of this house” Madison stated, a bombshell that shocked both husband and daughter. She wanted to kick Amanda out of their home, “I think she’s overstayed her welcome, don’t you?” No. Madison really was going to send the cheer captain back to a household that made her uncomfortable. A cheating mother and a down and out father just trying to figure out a reasonable way to make a living so he could make a life with his daughter. The two constantly butting heads, ripping their daughter’s heart out in the process,  “She’s  _ clearly _ a bad influence”

“You…” Kimberly blinked, shaking her head, she didn’t care about her phone...her laptop…any of that. No. She could not  _ do  _ that to Amanda. “You can’t do that!”

“Maddie…” Ted tried to argue with his wife on her behalf but was met with the intensity of one Madison Hart. He swallowed his words. He couldn’t come up with  _ anything _ to say to her. A united front. Bad cop won again. 

“I want her out by tomorrow” Madison said all she needed to, she put down her foot and laid down her hammer. “It’s time you start learning a little bit of respect Kimberly”  _ Bitch.  _ Kimberly knew to keep her mouth shut this time...first her phone, her best friend, she wasn’t going to risk her taking anything else away. Trini. She couldn’t risk  _ Trini. _

The door closed behind Madison and Kimberly wanted to  _ scream.  _ Ted just  _ stood  _ there, he didn’t do  _ anything _ to help just let his wife walk  _ all _ over him. He just held his hand out for his daughter to fork over her phone. “I’ll talk to her” He spoke softly, hating to be the one in the middle of all this. Kimberly  _ knew _ how that talk would go, Madison would shut him down instantly. Whatever  _ she _ wanted. Didn’t matter what  _ he _ wanted or what  _ Kimberly _ wanted. With her parents relinquishing her phone, her laptop soon to follow, she couldn’t even  _ warn _ Amanda, or tell Trini what trouble she had gotten herself into. She just had to open her big mouth. 

“Just leave me alone” Kimberly turned away, moving to lay face down on her bed, bringing a pillow over her head to try and process what mother dearest had taken away from her, how she really thought of her disappointment of a daughter. 

Why couldn’t Madison Hart be more like June Gomez?


	2. A BAC Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions are running high at the Hart house after Madison's explosion on her daughter. Kimberly hopes that she can still salvage the rest of her spring break by having Mia and Emma sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for lying haha I definitely decided to write Landbell (Summer/Aisha) prematurely and the first two chapters of that are up so check it out :) 
> 
> This chapter coincides with chapter 22 of Wild Pitch. Thank you all so much for reading all of this <3 I really appreciate your time and kudos and comments.

As if the day couldn't get any worse, her mother decided to throw down the hammer of judgement and send Amanda Clark packing. This was all Kimberly's fault, it wasn't fair in the slightest that Amanda had to pay for her so called crime. To Kim it wasn't _that_ big of a deal, all she did was try to seduce her girlfriend wearing one of her old uniforms...there were _worse_ things a teenage girl could get involved in. It didn't matter. It took every ounce of energy for Kimberly to not snap at her mother again. Her phone was already taken away, as was her laptop, now she was losing her house guest and best friend.

Kimberly promised Amanda that this would be a safe place for her to get her thoughts together. Amanda's world had been crumbling around her with her parents butting heads with one another. An affair. Amanda didn't need to be around that, she was barely keeping her grades up to stay on the cheerleading squad. As the third place qualifier they moved onto a new tournament, one where Amanda had the pressure of being the newest captain. Rebecca completely sold all of Angel Grove's secrets out to Charlie at Brairwood...Amanda would have to be starting fresh on top of everything else threatening to bring her down. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. How could her mother be so heartless? Ha, it was probably surgically removed when she took that promotion.

"Hey it's okay" Amanda tried to reassure her friend as she finished up loading the back seat of her car, "I'm pretty sure I've long overstayed my welcome"

"It's _not_ okay" Kimberly wrapped her arms around her best friend, the only person she had left from her days as a cheerleader, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault"

"Please don't blame yourself" The blonde tightened her grip around Kim. Even before they were KARM they were Kimberly and Amanda, just trying to get by at cheer camp. Amanda was always a little bit taller, a little bit thicker of a girl for the sport. Rebecca would constantly call her out but...Kimberly _always_ had her back, especially during the times where Amanda couldn't afford to keep up with the cheerleaders activities. Now she felt like she was just letting another person down. Amanda couldn't afford to be let down _again._ Her father was always out to sea, her mother had an affair with her boss, she could lose her boyfriend and _everything_ she built in Angel Grove...she shouldn't have to deal with a best friend failing to keep her away from her toxic home on top of it all. Madison Hart didn't even let her stay _one_ more night to adjust. "Kim, I'll be just fine. What's one more person thinking I'm a slut?" Amanda knew Mrs. Hart wasn't her biggest fan, or a fan of cheerleading. The cheer captain chuckled lightly, trying to make light of this for Kim. "She's not too far off"

"Oh stop" Kimberly pulled herself away from the hug, laughing was a temporary cure to stop herself from crying.

Amanda stepped back, resting her arm on the roof of her car, not yet ready to get going, "...Was it at least working?"

Kim could only smirk in a response, really, she missed how she _felt_ wearing that uniform. The power it gave her, the confidence, to her she might as well be wearing armor. Only this armor was a mini skirt and a known teaser for the dirty mind. Trini wasn't subtle about her cheerleader fantasy, as much as she'd deny it. Once she even caught her girlfriend checking out Amanda's legs, Kim couldn't even blame her. "That was going to be our hottest hookup to date" If her mom didn't bust in and start _parenting._ The worst.

Amanda nodded her head, she didn't need to tell Kimberly her own personal experiences with the magic of a cheer uniform. "Mm...well...if you ever want to borrow it again"

Kim smiled in her direction, she knew that Amanda would always have her back with these sorts of things, "...Do you have a place to go at least? Zack's?"

"I'll be fine" The cheer captain assured her by taking Kimberly's hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Will you be?"

The softball player turned her head in the direction of the house where she could see her mother watching her daughter say goodbye to her best friend from the window. She was on the phone, most likely calling the Gomez residence to tell Trini's parents what exactly happened over at the Hart household. Oh good. This will definitely be embarrassing. "Please take me with you, we can go anywhere and just live out of your car"

"Oh the dream" Amanda laughed, knowing that Kim's over dramatic response was _probably_ just a joke. "That's definitely how we'll get murdered"

Kimberly wrapped her arms around her friend in one more goodbye hug, really, she was just procrastinating on going back inside. "If you ever need anything..."

"I know" She kissed Kimberly's cheek, the cheer captain's eyes traveled up...they were still being watched alright. "I should go..." She pulled away from the hug to step over to the driver's seat, resting a hand on the door, "Thank you for everything you've done for me...I owe you big"

"You don't owe me a thing" Kimberly's lips pulled into a half smile, she hated to see her friend go...especially like this. "...You're my best friend, I love you"

Amanda tutted her head from side to side, her smile widening, "I love you too. Now go face the music, preferably, before your mom sets my car on fire with her death glare"

Kimberly had to face mother dearest sooner or later, if it were up to her she'd prefer _later._ She returned to the house, shutting the front door with purpose so both Madison and Ted could know right away that their only child was upset. Was it a bit over the top and bratty? Probably, but Kimberly didn't care. Not when she shut her bedroom door so hard that one of her posters threatened to pop out of the wall. She laid down on her bed, wanting to scream out all of her aggravation in a pillow but thought against it. Her mother took away her phone? Her laptop? _Fine._ That didn't mean she couldn't play her mp3 player on full blast. That would absolutely show them.

When Kimberly's electronics were taken away during the first semester...she deserved it. She had punched Ty Flemming in the face, bitch slapped Rebecca, and admitted that she was the one who sent out Megan's photo to begin with. Kimberly at her lowest needed to be away from social media, to recover without the toxicities in her life. Healing started at her core, she started to run more, to take time to be _herself_ away from all of that. To her it was a justified. This? Okay, maybe the phone and computer was enough of a punishment for getting a little frisky but she couldn't get over kicking Amanda out on top of it all. It was just a cheer uniform. As if they _didn't_ have sex when they were teenagers? ........That might've been a stretch.......Ted and Madison in high school were total losers.

There was a knock on the door, “Princess?” Her father’s voice had been barely audible over the sound of her music. “I’m coming in” He waited a few seconds to compose himself, he always had to play the good cop to try and dampen the blows his wife left. He cautiously opened the door as if expecting his teenage daughter to react by throwing something his way, or shouting at him. “Hey, let’s talk”

“I have nothing to say to you” Kimberly bit back, laying on her back and glaring at the ceiling, she didn’t even want to acknowledge him.

Ted stepped over and pressed a button on Kimberly’s mp3 player dock, he intended to turn the device off all together but instead he changed the song and LMAFO started shouting _‘Shots shots shots!’_ startling the dentist into pressing any button he could until the noise stopped. “I know you’re upset”

“Upset? You’re _joking_ right?” Kimberly sat up, she was on the defensive now, “Did she send _you_ in here like she always does? You could’ve _said_ something, _anything”_ She had to bite back a snide comment, her mouth was what got her into trouble in the first place. “But you just stood there…”

“You shouldn’t disrespect your _mother_ either” Ted sighed, sitting at the end of Kimberly’s bed, “You said some pretty harsh things. Look this’ll all blow over and I’ll _talk_ to her”

Kimberly rolled her eyes, not holding her breath on _that,_ “Her mind’s made up, and whatever she wants she gets, right?” Ted was _always_ out of his league when he dated Madison in college. He was the dorky med student on track to become a dentist while she was the hot tracked surgeon. They moved out west because of _her._ He knew how much her colleagues looked down on him, his profession. Still, Madison was the love of his life and he tried to do whatever he could to keep her happy...even if that meant sacrificing things _he_ wanted; a dog, a second baby…how hard did he have to fight to convince Madison it was a good idea to have Kimberly to begin with? “Amanda did _nothing_ wrong”

“Sweetie, how long were you expecting her to stay?” Ted titled his head, he let out a sigh, “You’re still under our roof, our rules...we should _talk_ about what you were-”

“Oh” Kimberly really _really_ did not want to be talking about _this._ “I really don’t think that’s necessary”

“Kimmie you were in a cheerleading uniform”

“It’s not like I went to Hookers’R’Us and suited up in leather!” Kimberly argued, her father’s eyes going wide with surprise. Right. That was what she needed to dial back on, her mouth. “Sorry” She swallowed, her father here was the _good_ cop of her parents, if she wanted to salvage any of her spring break she had to work with at least one of them. “I love Trini and I’m _sorry_ I can’t apologize for wanting to _be_ with her…it’s going to happen whether you like it or not”

“I _have_ to treat this situation with Trini like I would if you were with a _boy.”_ Ted rubbed his chin, treading carefully with his words. He wasn’t dealing with a daughter and a punk of a boyfriend, he _liked_ the girl she was dating. “You’re growing up _too_ fast...we just want you to slow it down a bit”

“...That’s rich coming from you…” Ted frowned at his daughter’s response, “Neither of you are ever home, until I had softball we never even talked. You didn’t know what was going on with me. What I did. How much I _hated_ myself...I was _drowning_ and my own parents didn’t even see it” Kimberly looked down to her hands, “I’m better now, _Trini_ makes me a better person…” She shook her head, defeated, “Would kill mom to take _one_ day off and see me play?” Her eyes started to well up with tears, “Does she even care?”

Ted scooted up on the bed to embrace his daughter, trying to shush all of her doubts away, “Of course she does, she _loves_ you”

“She’s got a shitty way of showing it” Kimberly bit, Ted tried to rub her back to make her feel better but doubt reeled it’s ugly head. “I try _so_ hard” She set up an entire movement to bring the softball team a new field, this project was to fill her heart, to make up for her past misdeeds. “The least she can do is _show_ _up”_

“...I’ll talk to her” Poor Mr. Hart had to do a _lot_ of damage control if his wife and daughter were ever going to see eye to eye with one another. “...And princess...do me a favor...be careful with Trini. I understand she’s your girlfriend but if you’re going to be _intimate_ you should be _safe_ and use dental dams”

Kimberly wanted to scream, her father just uttered the word _dental_ _dam_ out of an office context. “Please. _Please_ stop talking”

Ted’s eyes averted down to his daughter’s fingernails, “Washing your hands are important to-”

“Oh my god!” Kimberly flopped down onto her bed, bringing a pillow over her head to try and protect herself from perhaps one of the most awkward conversations of her entire life. “Mrs. Gomez gave me a pamphlet about all of this already” She mumbled hoping she’d be free from a _second_ sex talk from her parents. One when she was dating Tommy was awkward enough but this? Horrifying. Her _father_ talking to her about this.

“I know you’re under eighteen but if you somehow got ahold of one you should always wash your toys to prevent-”

“Get out!” Nope. No. She wanted to go back to the world where she wanted nothing to do with her parents and they were too busy going to the country club to pay any attention to what she got herself into. God. _God_ how embarrassing, “Just...please...please _stop”_

“Right, yeah, I was thinking that one was one too far” Ted patted his knees, his face beat red as he also didn’t know what to do in this sort of situation. He should’ve just let Madison talked to her about how to safely...oh boy. “I’m going to ah...leave now” He scuttled out of the room to leave his daughter, after a conversation like _that_ he wanted to just tee off and play some golf to get his mind off of the two women in his life fighting.

God. What a way to start spring break.

*****

Softball practice had been a very, _very_ welcome escape from her house. Of course, Trini meant well by asking about her situation with her mother but the last thing she wanted to do was really think about it; or about the humiliating conversation with her father for _that_ matter. What did he think she was buying off of Amazon.com? No. Nope. Flirting with her girlfriend or practicing pitching with Aisha was more than enough to take her out of the mindset of having to deal with her. Trini claims not to have a cheerleader fantasy, Kimberly could call bull on that but she'd let her have it, if only to string along the mystery of what _she_ thought would be a sexy idea. ...Maybe it was a bit cruel to keep teasing her girlfriend, after _not_ following through with her little seduction plan...Kimberly herself had been getting antsy for a bit of a release herself.

When she returned home, Kimberly sat on the couch watching baseball with Ted. Madison was actually _home_ for once, making something for dinner, but Kimberly didn't want to interact with her. Not when she was still mad. But without a phone or computer she found herself bored out of her mind. This was _supposed_ to be spring break and she felt trapped in this house. Trini apparently had "plans" this night, Zack was working, Jason and Billy were playing video games...video games that Kimberly didn't have the energy to sit through and watch, and god help her if she wanted to even attempt to hang out with Amanda. The doorbell rang, sweet salvation a break from her dad's commentary, Kimberly rushed up to open it only to be surprised to see Emma standing there. "Hi?"

"Hey" The third baseman smiled, "You weren't answering your phone so I thought I'd pop by" She lowered her voice, so Mr. Hart wouldn't hear her, "You will not _believe_ what our girlfriends are up to" Being radio silent meant that Kimberly was completely out of the loop to what was going on with the rest of the softball team. The sophomore pitcher folded her arms, sending Emma a quizzical look. When Trini said she would be _busy_ tonight she assumed it would be because of her mother not _Gia Moran_. "Gia's throwing a slumber party. Aisha, Tori and Lauren are over there too. We had _date night_ plans...are you free to hang out?"

Gia was having a sleepover and didn't invite _Emma?_ She didn't invite _Kimberly?_ Tanya being absent also felt a bit suspicious. "Hold that thought" Kimberly leaned back in to grab her father's attention, "Dad can I have some friends sleepover?"

"Oh ah..." Ted hated to be in the middle of this, make his daughter happy only to upset his wife? "Maybe you should ask your mom" Typical.

Kimberly glanced back to Emma, if Gia thought _she_ could be the only one to throw something fun she would be mistaken. "Get ready to message Mia." The only child and princess of the Hart household entered the kitchen, speaking to her mother for the first time since being caught in bed. "Mom, can I have some friends sleepover?"

Madison paused what she was doing to get a good chance to look her daughter in the eyes. This could be a chance to start a dialogue, a chance to offer up the olive branch. Words were said on both sides, she had already punished Kimberly enough but she wasn't completely sold on allowing Kimberly to have guests just yet. "Which friends?"

"Emma Goodall and Mia Watanabe" Not cheerleaders. Not her girlfriend; and certainly not any boys. Emma Goodall and Mia Watanabe were both seniors, Emma known for humanitarian work  while Mia Watanabe was the _best_ person to bring home to mom and dad. At this rate she would be valedictorian, the one to make the commencement speech in front of the entire graduating class. These were girls that would be a 'good' influence on Kimberly as opposed to Amanda's 'bad' influence.

Mrs. Hart took a moment to think about her options, "Sure" She let out a breath, happy that she didn't get _too_ far into her dinner preparations. "There's extra linens in the guest closet, are they coming over for dinner as well?"

Emma stepped inside, now that she was given the permission, "I'd love to, my dinner plans were kind of...ruined tonight" God, Kimberly could not wait to hear _that_ story. "Thank you Mrs. Hart" She smiled in Kimberly's direction, "Mia's on her way"

Inviting Emma and Mia to spend the night was a good call. They were the perfect house guests and would help Kim earn tons of brownie points with her mother. As much as Kimberly _loved_ Trini, she knew all too well that her girlfriend would have a hard time adjusting to Indian cuisine. Eggplant parmesan was a struggle for her, she couldn’t imagine Trini’s face upon eating a red lentil daal. Amanda, Rebecca and Megan avoided having dinner at the Hart house unless they knew Ted was cooking or they were ordering pizza in. When Kimberly was in grade school, before even coming to Angel Grove little kids who didn’t know any better made fun of her lunches; her heritage. It sucked.

The GSA president and third baseman of the softball team were polite, never once looked at their phones at the dinner table and mostly led the conversation with why didn’t Angel Grove have _any_ good Asian restaurants. The best Chinese food place was out in Panorama and good luck to anyone looking for a decent Indian place. Mia complained that one of the best Japanese places was all the way out in San Diego. Kimberly would _kill_ for a great sushi bar in Angel Grove. This harbor town and a lot of the smaller nearby towns were mostly bars and pubs to satisfy the blue collar fishermen. Still, Emma laughed at all of Ted’s dad jokes, and both of them offered to help clean up afterward.

Finally Kimberly was able to pull her guests up into her room, she wanted to talk more about what Gia, Trini and Lauren were up to at Gia’s place. All Emma and Mia wanted to do was go straight to her back wall where all of her pictures were displayed. Leave it to an aspiring photographer and an ocd aesthetic club president to fawn over the memories. “Oh my god, you guys were so cute” Emma found a picture of Kimberly, Trini and the Sandlot Boys when they were ten. A taller Jason stood at the far left side, his fingers making a peace sign, his other hand on top of a shorter Billy’s head. There was actually a time where Billy Cranston was the shortest of the bunch, the little kid sporting Jason’s LA Dodgers hat. Zack stood behind Billy, making a finger gun with his hand to pose under his chin like a smug little badass. Tommy stood off to the right his hand behind his neck, wearing a green bandana and dragon shirt. He had _such_ a dragon phase. Kimberly and Trini stood front and center, Kimberly leaning into Trini her arm around Trini’s neck to hold her close. Trini held out her ball, a dopey grin on her face...it was the day before Trini moved to Reefside.

“You should totally recreate this” Emma suggested, looking back to Kim. “Gia and I have been trying to recreate our old pictures” She laughed, thinking back on a fond memory, “I want to make a then and now scrapbook for us for when we go to college” A bookend to their time through the Angel Grove. Emma and Gia were lucky, neither of them moved away for six years. They had each other this whole time. Emma looked over to Mia next to her, carrying a fondness in her eyes when she spoke, “Mrs. Carver has the photos of the day Gia and I played wedding with a slip’n’slide. Noah officiated and...I’m really hoping that we can recreate it for prom” She paused, starting to search her album on her phone, “Hold on”   

Emma pulled up a picture of the physical copy and turned her phone to Mia as she was closest. “Oh my god! You guys are so cute” The GSA president turned the phone to Kimberly so she could get a good view of the photo. Noah, the bi-racial boy in blue swim trunks and glasses stood behind Gia and Emma the two wearing yellow and pink swimsuits respectively. Gia was the one to lean over to kiss her ‘bride’. The three kids were soaking wet from playing with the hose and the slip and slide first. An innocent moment captured forever by Noah’s mother.

“Recreate it for _prom?”_ Kimberly teased with a smug grin, knowing that there would have to be a _third_ photo in the future to complete the re-creation set.

“I’m not trying to get ahead of myself” Emma laughed, moving away from the wall in favor of taking a seat on Kimberly’s bed. “We came out to our parents, surprise, Gia had nothing to worry about” the third baseman had to laugh, “The amount of wedding jokes we’ve heard…”

“You have _no_ idea how lucky you are” Mia sat down on the bed, Kimberly joining them for some fun story time. “Before I dated Jayden, oh all my mother wanted to do was try to set me up with Adam Park” She shook her head, laughing at the irritating memories of forced setups with a boy who had no interest in her. The feeling was mutual. “It was mostly to appease my grandmother” Mia leaned back on her hands, tilting her head to the side, “I can remember the first time I brought Jayden to dinner, he was _so_ nervous about making a good impression. Now, keep in mind, this was freshman year. He wore a full piece suit to dinner”

“Trini gets skittish around my mother” It was easy to get along with her father, he was so personable, so _dorky._ “...It’s only going to get worse after what happened” Emma and Mia exchanged a glance, “Okay so. I don’t know if you guys ever _try_ something...special in the bedroom” There was no good way to explain it so Kimberly cut right to the chase, “Trini has this _thing_ for my old cheerleader uniform and...my mom walked in us, _y’know”_

“Oh” Mia put a hand over her mouth, “Oh my parents would _kill_ me if they ever walked in on that”

“That’s kind of the boat I’m in” Kimberly sighed, glancing down to her hands in her lap, “Has that ever happened to you?”

“...Almost” Emma rubbed the back of her neck, “When we were in the closet, at Gia’s house but we always tried to be careful. Gia was _paranoid_ about anyone finding out about us so we had to be a little more...creative about where we hooked up”

“Mmm I normally just go to the Shiba’s house” Mia paused, “Not to say that we _haven’t_ at my house...Lauren and I” She had to clarify, “I’d probably be grounded for a month if they caught us”

“Tensions are pretty high with my mom right now, I’m actually surprised she even let you two stay over” Emma and Mia shared a knowing glance, they knew _exactly_ why. “But I’m really glad you’re here” Did Kimberly really want to take more time discussing her mother? This was supposed to be a sleepover. “So. What exactly was Gia’s little party about?”

“Oh I really, _really_ shouldn’t say” Emma laughed shaking her head, she knew far too much.

“No I’m curious about that too” Mia had to agree with Kimberly, “Lauren kept sending me pictures of Imperial Wok” She looked at her phone, scrolling through her text messages with her girlfriend. “Also she sent me a message of _“Emma just broke Tori lol.”.”_...What the hell was going on at Gia’s?

“No, no. Gia would _kill_ me if I told _you”_ Emma’s eyes were comically wide as her gaze shifted from Mia to Kimberly. “So we should drop it” Okay, but Kimberly really wanted to get back to that Tori bit. Emma not so subtly texted Mia’s phone about the real reason, causing the GSA president to start laughing.

“...Really?” Kimberly frowned, she was a cheerleader, she mastered texting about other people while they were in the same room. Emma was _not_ good at being petty. Why couldn’t _she_ know but Mia could. “Seriously?”

“Oh no we can’t tell you” Mia rested a hand on her chest, quelling her laughter. “So you dressed up like a cheerleader for your girlfriend?” A _complete_ change of subject, “Do you role play often?”

“Oh my god.” Kimberly didn’t laugh like this in days, and even though this wasn’t exactly the kind of release she wanted...it sure helped. “Do _you?”_

“No, but…” Emma rubbed her wrists just thinking about it, “After college, Gia’s going to go into the police academy and well…” She didn’t need to say the word handcuffs, “I dunno the idea of Officer Moran is pretty sexy” Kimberly and Mia were both surprised to hear that coming out of Emma’s mouth, she always came off as one of the most innocent girls on the team, “What? I like the look of the uniform”

Mia took a moment to glance down to her phone as if she was waiting for another message from her girlfriend before speaking, “You know what you _should_ do” She glanced over to Emma with a sly smile, “Handcuff Gia” Emma looked like she was actually contemplating that, “A top who’s always in control….trust me”

“...Why do you think Gia’s a top?”

Kimberly had to stand up so she could go over to her door and shut it, Emma and Mia may look innocent and pure on the outside but once they got on the right topic...they were _no_ worse than the cheerleaders. Nope. Just girls who love loving their girlfriends. “Em, c’mon” Kimberly laughed, she didn’t want to spell it out...but Emma Goodall was totally a bottom.

“Oh whatever” Emma laughed, shaking her head, “What about _you_ Mia, you never answered the question”

“Okay, I _love_ Lauren so so much but mm acting isn’t her thing” That was fair, Lauren really didn’t even _talk_ much, she was too much of an introvert for this, “I don’t _need_ her to put on a costume. You guys have _seen_ her body”

If Mia and Emma were so quick to talk about their girls Kimberly had no qualms joining. “Speaking of bodies...all of Rita’s punishment weight lifting sessions is paying off. _Wow”_ With Kimberly and Trini fighting it had been sometime since Kim had an opportunity to _really_ pay attention to her girlfriend without a shirt on.

“I could watch Gia do push ups all day” Emma added; if Mia was going to talk about Lauren’s all around perfectly toned body and Kimberly’s gushing of Trini’s recent developments, Emma was absolutely going to praise her girlfriend’s muscular set of arms.

“Oh god” Kimberly rested her hands against her forehead, breaking the mood of their current topic. “....I _have_ to ask...since you started dating girls did you have a painfully awkward sex talk? From the parents?”

“Mmmm no” Emma shook her head, “They were more concerned when I was dating Troy” Though the third baseman had to pause, “To be fair, they haven’t known Gia and I’ve been together for very long”

“No. That would require my parents to actually accept Lauren as a suitable partner” Mia replied with a bitter tone, “....They do _now_ but they don’t want to talk to me about _sex._ I did my own research” She laughed, “I’ve had more conversations about safe sex with _Mrs. Gomez_ than I do with my own family”

As the one Trini Gomez was having sex _with_ that didn’t make it any less awkward for Kimberly. She could only laugh, oh no. “That’s so unfair. I had to hear my _dad_ say the word _dental dam_ in a _not_ dentist related context”

Emma and Mia’s jaws dropped before Emma spoke up, “Your _dad_ gave you the sex talk? Oh _no”_

“Oh it gets worse” Kimberly lamented, bringing a hand over her eyes as she did _not_ want to see the expression on her friend’s faces, “He told me to wash my toys” Toys that she didn’t even _own._ He just…. _guessed._ It made it _worse._

“Horrifying” Mia dropped her phone on the bed, “I still live in a nice bubble where I pray my parents don’t know how queer people have sex and that Lauren and I just hold hands and kiss” Out of the three of them, Emma and Kimberly knew that Lauren and Mia did a _lot_ more than they let off. Lauren was just a sealed book about discussing their private life. Mia around her girls in the BAC may prove to be a little more forthcoming. In the GSA, Mia never had another queer girl to talk to that _wasn’t_ her girlfriend. Sure, there was Trini but she was obviously closer to the softball captain.

There was a knock on the door that startled the three teenagers inside, Madison opened the door a couple of moments later to address the girls, “Your father and I are going to turn in so if you could keep the volume down”

“Are you on call tonight?” A question Kimberly had grown too used to asking the heart surgeon. Madison shook her head no, not tonight. That meant a possible breakfast with _both_ of her parents the next morning.

“Goodnight Mrs. Hart” Mia and Emma politely smiled, Emma even sending Kimberly’s mother a small wave goodbye.

That night became a sleepover proper. Kimberly would sneak downstairs to grab whatever snacks she could for her guests. Emma would sit behind Mia as she _so_ wanted to play with the GSA president’s long locks of hair. The three of them could go on and on about the little things with their girlfriends. How Trini thought she was such a badass, or how Gia was secretly such a dork and would do little romantic things for Emma, Mia mostly shared stories of the golf course and taking Lauren to the country club for the first time. It wasn’t just _girlfriends._ Kimberly could go on and on about the boys she used to make out with or ex-boyfriends. Emma had Troy, Mia had _Jayden._ Their past mistakes, and the things straight men would say to them proved to be comedy gold for the three girls. 

Kimberly was super happy to have Emma and Mia as friends. She felt like she could tell the BAC _anything_ and they would just _get it._

*****

Kimberly was surprised when her parents had told her that they would be joining the Gomez family and the others for an Easter dinner. They didn’t live out East anymore, in New England this holiday was a bigger deal for her father’s side of the family. Now of days, Kimberly didn’t even have that much fun dying hard boiled eggs fun colors. Still, this was a chance for her parents...her _mother_ as well as the Gomezs to see that their daughters were as strong as ever in their romantic life and could be around one another without succumbing to teenage hormones.

Dinner itself was actually pretty cool, minus the intrusion of Rita Repulsa and her boyfriend-her whatever Zedd. He was a complete jackass. No. What was nice was the sandlot gang and their families all being there, even Amanda and her father. It gave Madison and Ted a real wake up call to what was going on in their lives. How desperate Joe Clark was to keep his daughter and stay in the city she grew up in. Kimberly could hold Trini’s hand at a holiday dinner, this felt like the first of hopefully so many more Gomez-Hart...no wait, the top comes first, Hart-Gomez family occasions. At one point, Kimberly could hear Ted discuss the idea of a family vacation over the summer. He never got the big family he always wanted, and while skiing during the winter became one of Kimberly’s favorite things...she knew in her heart that Ted wanted more.

It was late at night when the Hart family returned home. All commenting during the car ride over how nice the evening...outside of Zedd joking about _murder_ at the table, had been. Kimberly still had _one_ more day left of holiday vacation and she was looking forward to spending it with the likes of Trini, Amanda, Zack, Jason and Billy...she didn’t realize how during softball season they had drifted apart from one another.

After getting out of her pink Easter dress, Kimberly had changed into something a little more comfortable to sleep in. It was just as she crawled under the covers when there was a knock on the door. “Come in” She was expecting _Ted_ to be the one to wish her a goodnight sleep but surprise, surprise. It was her mother. “Oh”

“I just want to talk” She stepped further into Kimberly’s room, “I think we’re long overdue, don’t you?”

Kimberly wasn’t sure what her mother was playing at but she scooted up, letting her mom sit on the foot of the bed. Madison set down both her laptop and her phone, returning them to their proper owner. Her punishment for operation cheer seduction officially lifted. “I didn’t realize the Clarks situation was so bad”

“You never asked” Madison wanted a real talk? Fine. Bring it. “You _never_ ask about anything outside of my school work”

That was fair, Dr. Hart knew it. “I’m worried about you, about your chances to get into a good school” Madison shook her head, “Your behavior this year has been completely unacceptable. I’m afraid that you won’t have a fair shot at a future”

“What? That I’ll go to state school?” Kimberly _knew_ she fucked up, a suspension was on her record as was her situation of weekly Saturday school’s until the end of the year to make up for sending out the photo to begin with.

“You’re going into a medical field and I want you to have _every_ edge possible” Madison had to fight tooth and nail to get to where she was, the _head_ of a department at a prestigious hospital. It wasn’t anything to scoff or sneeze at. “You’re a bright girl, you have _so_ much potential but you also have a habit of making bad decisions”

“Okay, we can both agree that Ty Flemming was a waste of time” That comment earned a small laugh and a chuckle from Madison. Dating him right after Tommy Oliver really wasn’t a great choice. “I’m trying so hard to make up for my past...and you’re missing _all_ of it.” Kimberly’s jaw set, “You’ve never gone to my cheer competitions, you’ve never shown up for any of my softball games. When I will I matter more than your job?”

“It’s not _easy_ for me to be able to drop everything. Surgeries, emergencies, I’m the head of the department. I’m _needed_ as much as possible” Madison sighed, “I’m sorry Kimberly, I will _try_ but that’s the best I can do”

“It’s not _good_ enough anymore. Do you know what it’s like to look up and see that everyone else’s parents decided to show and oh there’s dad with a camera”

“That’s _not_ fair” Wasn’t it?

“I’m not asking for much. Are you going to show up to graduation?”

Mrs. Hart was shocked that Kimberly would even _ask,_ “Of course, I wouldn’t miss that for the world”

Kimberly shook her head in utter disbelief, “How is that any different!?”

“Your graduation is a big moment in your life Kimberly, and I will be so proud the day you get your diploma” Madison rested a hand on her chest, she truly felt sincere about this sentiment, “I know softball is important to you but at the end of the day it’s just...a game”

“And cheerleading was what? Just a hobby?” Kim frowned, “I put so much of my time, so much of _me_ into what I do. This isn’t something to just put on a college application and wipe my hands of it” She pointed to her abandoned letterman jacket hanging in her closet, “I _earned_ that letter” Now that she was off the cheerleading squad she didn’t feel right wearing the jacket until the word softball joined it. “So you’re just going to pick and choose what matters? Is that how this is going to go?” All Kimberly wanted was for her mother to be proud of her. To care. “Will prom matter? Or will dad give you the highlight reel?”

“Do _not_ get testy with me Kimberly Ann” Madison was quick to point a finger at her daughter, she did _not_ want a repeat of last time. “I said that I would _try_ to make it work, I have a copy of your schedule I just need the right situation to come along. I only have a certain amount of vacation days that’s how I want to spend it. Our holiday out East, the important events. Graduation, Prom. Homecoming. I have to make my days _matter._ I’m sorry Kimberly, that it has to be this way, that I have to pick and choose and be the bad guy. I’m not Mrs. Gomez, or Mrs. Scott who have all the time in the world, I have a _career._ I _save_ lives, I’m not a housewife.”

Kimberly had to swallow the harsh pill that her mother may not be able to come to _any_ of her games because she didn’t deem her sport as important. “Fine. You know what, whatever. That still doesn’t make up for the fact that you know _nothing_ about what’s going on in my life”

“I never claimed to be mother of the year” She wasn’t really even in the running. “But I’m here, right now.” Madison sighed, “So let’s make up for some lost time” She hoped that this could be a start for them, “What’s going on with you?”

“Really? Right now?” Kimberly glanced over to the clock, “...It’s pretty late…” Could Madison really be up for a heart to heart? “Might be past your bedtime”

“Scoot” Madison motioned for her daughter to stop sitting in the _middle_ of the bed, if she was going to have a late night conversation with her daughter she wanted the proper back support. “Whatever you want to tell me”

Wow, so, this was really happening...Madison just sat there expectantly waiting for her daughter to start some sort of story. Oh god. Where to even begin? _So_ much had happened just with rivalry week but...everything went back further than that. The former cheer captain had to let out a heavy sigh, turning her head to her mother’s direction before finally picking a point to where she should even begin. “...I need to tell you why Tommy and I broke up, the _real_ reason.”

This was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be honest, I'll probably write chapter 3 of Landbell next.


	3. Hart to Hart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One conversation; no more secrets, no more holding back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been so long since I've updated THIS specific sideline story.
> 
> This is the chapter that goes with Chapter 23 of Wild Pitch. At the lunch with the Sandlot Gang, Kimberly is utterly exhausted because she and her mother had talked all through the night. This is their conversation.

“I’m listening”

Kimberly thought it would be best if she started with ripping off the band-aid to her darkest secret. The sophomore glanced down, easier said than done with her mother sitting _right_ next to her. “This was something in the past, you can’t…” She shook her head, “You have to _promise_ me that you won’t get upset” She wanted to reach out, she wanted to be close to her mother...she wanted Madison to know _some_ semblance of her daughter...even the ugly parts.

Madison wasn’t sure _what_ she was bracing herself for, her brows narrowed, concerned for her only child. “As you said...it’s in the past…” She folded her hands and set them in her lap, her grip tight as some sort of coping mechanism, “There’s nothing I can do to change that”

“If you’re _serious_ about this” Kimberly bit her lip, this was her final out, she could kick her mother out right here and now. “...Some things I’m going to tell you, you’re not going to like”

“Kimberly” Madison adjusted where she sat, so instead of sitting _next_ to her daughter she chose instead to sit directly in front of her. “I’ve seen you do _ugly_ things. Might I remind you who got you out of being committed for a _sex_ _crime?”_ She unfortunately had a point there. “Just talk to me”

“...Right….”

“Your break up with Tommy” Madison tried to help her daughter _start_ a dialogue, “It felt very sudden, you were always so close. For _years_ for it to _end_ so abruptly. Were you upset with him? Did he do something?” She paused, “Did _you?”_

Kimberly didn’t know how to put _this_ into words. Telling Trini was _so_ different than looking her own mother in the eye. “It’s not like _that”_ She rested against the headboard behind her, “Trini wasn’t my first…”

Madison closed her eyes and had to swallow the pill that her daughter was far more sexually active then she would have liked, “So, Tommy” she concluded, hoping that her child’s first time wasn’t with Ty Fleming, “Did he pressure you into-”

 _“No”_ Kimberly tilted her head up to the ceiling, she wanted to get through this part without crying, but bringing back _why_ she broke up with Tommy was always a touchy subject. “I loved him...and he loved me...we were young and thought we were invincible” She scoffed out a laugh, “We were idiots trying to grow up too fast”

“...So why did you break up?” Mrs. Hart asked very, _very_ cautiously.

“I was _late_ and my whole world felt like it was going to crash down” Kimberly had to be strong, she had to get through this story, “I told Tommy...and he freaked out and completely shut me out. I felt so _alone_ so scared” She had to heave out a sigh, “Mr. Oliver approached me with money to _take care of it.”_ Kimberly ran a hand through her hair, “It didn’t matter, I got my period the next day but the damage was done. That was a _wake up call._ The idea that we were almost _parents_ scared the hell out of us...our relationship could never be the same….we could never go back to the way things were. So...we split up” And as much as Tommy thought they were destined to get back together...Kimberly was _done._

A pregnancy _scare._ Just a scare. She didn’t actually...god. _God._ What was running through Kimberly’s head that day? Madison experienced a _lot_ of different walks of life through her job. Teen pregnancy wasn’t anything _new_ to her...but her own daughter? “Were you…” She had to rephrase the question, “Why wouldn’t you come to me?”

“You’re kidding right?” Kim asked shaking her head, “I was fourteen...god I was _so_ afraid of what you’d say, what _dad_ would say” Brown eyes glanced down to her hands, her thumb ran along the palm of her other hand just to keep them occupied, “...I didn’t want to be the family disappointment…” Her parents were both in the medical field, she should have been _smarter_ than to have unprotected sex with her freshman boyfriend. “I _know_ how your side of the family can be” With their sky high expectations.  

“That snake…” Madison didn’t seem to have nice things to say about Mr. Thomas Oliver. “All this time he was hiding this from me...to go behind my back and…”

“I would’ve done it” She admitted, “Mr. Oliver gave me an easy out...I could...I could do it and you’d never know. I wouldn’t be the thing that holds Tommy back from his future…my future” During that time Kimberly wanted to be _more_ than just an accessory to the great Tommy Oliver. That was the day she lost her innocence, what made her a kid. After that pregnancy scare Kimberly became a shell of who she used to be. Kim became harsher, meaner, snobbier toward her fellow classmates...she didn’t even blink when she sent that photo of Megan, her own friend.  

“Kimberly…” Madison didn’t know _what_ to say, “I’m sorry you felt like you couldn’t come to me…” That she _failed_ as a parent...

“How could I?” Kimberly’s eyes narrowed, “Ever since I joined the cheerleading squad you’ve been _so_ harsh with me... _so_ judgemental”

“I never wanted you to join cheerleading” Mrs. Hart could admit, surprising no one. “I’d rather you in something _respectable._ Tennis...golf…” A sport very common at the country club. “But your father insisted”

“Ha. I’m surprised you let him get something he wanted” Kimberly muttered under her breath, a backhanded comment that earned a glare from her mother. Right. She was supposed to be _less_ on the offensive. This wasn’t a conversation about _attacking_ one another... “Cheerleading _is_ a sport. What we do in competition...”

Madison exhaled sharply through her nose, “I _know_ you worked hard, and _yes,_ when you are at a competitive level that _is_ a sport-”

“But?” Kimberly could feel that there was a stipulation in there.

“But you and I _both_ know that there’s more to cheerleading than a score at a judge’s table”

Kimberly folded her arms, silent, as she glanced down. Her mother was right, there was more to cheerleading then their competitions. At _school_ it meant being in the most desired social class, to be _popular,_ desired. It also put a target on her back for anyone who _wasn’t_ in that circle so she had to stay sharp. Wearing a cheerleading uniform in the walls of Angel Grove was a _symbol_ a suit of armor, a _mask._

As her daughter wasn’t _speaking,_ Madison was the one to continue her thought. “Maybe, I’m a bit unfair, a bit biased. I can admit that” She sighed, “When our family moved to the states, when I went to school…” Dr. Hart didn’t speak of her past very often, certainly not her past _before_ med-school where she met Ted. “I was one of the _very_ few brown kids at my high school. They made sure I knew that. The girls were all blonde and pretty with their bonehead football player boyfriends. Cheerleaders would always comment on my clothes, my glasses while the boys would jeer at me in some fake accent that was deemed _funny”_ Juvenile. It was no wonder Madison Hart preferred contacts, “They made me feel like a _zoo animal,_ an attraction. There’s nothing more demeaning than that. I had to put my head down, try to be a bigger person and _survive.”_

“So forgive me, if I didn’t want my daughter to become like the girls who made my life a living _hell.”_ Kimberly could tell that her mother wasn’t telling her _everything_ that she had gone through. She couldn’t tell if it were out of pride or self preservation. This was her _daughter_ after all, someone that should be able to be proud of their mother, “And then you brought home those three girls, pretty…” _White._ “And that was when I saw it in your eyes...the first time you were ever _embarrassed_ to be my daughter”

“That’s….” Her words got stuck in her throat….she wasn’t wrong...

“You don’t have to patronize me.”

Kimberly let out a deep sigh, a hand through her hair, she didn’t realize how much she pushed her mother away. “Before we moved to Angel Grove...I was made fun of for my lunch...the lunches _you_ packed me. I get it more than you realize...and I _never_ wanted to feel that low again. So I pushed that side of me down, I _hated_ that side of me for the longest time...I was too young to really understand, I guess”

“I became the monster you were _so_ afraid of, I know” Kimberly glanced up to her mother, her eyes betraying her strength by watering up, “I became a bully, I tore down other people because I wanted to stay on top. I used people, abused people...Kimberly Hart may’ve been Angel Grove’s sweetheart but anyone who knew her...or thought they knew her, oh she was a raging bitch” Kimberly held the bridge of her nose, just a little bit of pain to hold herself back from crying, “I stabbed my own friend in the back, and I didn’t _care._ I didn’t _blink”_

Kimberly apologized to _so_ many people but she never apologized to her own mother, “I lost sense of who I was...and _that_ is why softball means so much to me. _Trini,_ the girls...they’ve helped me remember a part of me that I’ve lost. For the first time in _years_ I feel like myself again. I’ve worked _so_ hard to put my mistakes behind me...because I _never_ want to be that person again”

She wanted to _like_ the girl she saw in the mirror.

“I’m so _sorry_ mom…” As much as she hated that Madison’s job took her away from the Hart household _a lot,_ she was so proud of everything she accomplished. That her mother was the _head_ of the department. She could never be ashamed of her, and it struck a cord that her mother distanced herself because of the girl she pretended to be. “I’m so sorry”

Madison leaned forward to envelope her daughter in a proper hug. It had been _so long_ since mother and child embraced like this...that in itself was a scary realization for the heart surgeon. She spent hours at work saving families that she wasn’t around to see how much her daughter needed her in her life. “I’m sorry too...I missed out on _so_ much, I should have been better. I should’ve stepped up…”

Kimberly rested her forehead against her mother’s shoulder, sniffing out a, “They aren’t all bad”

“Hm?”

“Cheerleading. It wasn’t always bad…” Cheerleading was what helped Kimberly with her self confidence after her lowest low... _softball camp._ Kissing a girl and being bullied so hard that she left the sport all together. She hid away things that she should be proud of...her _heritage,_ her _sexuality._ Before cheerleading came into her life she was a scared little kid. Cheerleading gave her a backbone...Cheerleading gave her Amanda...her best friend. “Amanda...she’s not…”

“I realize that now” Madison sat back, keeping close enough back that she rested her hands on her daughter’s shoulders, “I was so quick to judge how bad of an influence she could be, that I didn’t see past my own insecurities...what her family is going through…”

“The divorce is _ugly.”_ Kimberly shook her head, “And for _once_ I felt like I could finally contribute something good and” Like everything else, it somehow blew up in her face.

“Kimberly, you have to understand...what it was like for _me_ to see you in that uniform...for _that”_ Dr. Hart sighed heavily, “I know you’re not a little girl anymore but...you’re not quite an _adult_ either. You still live under my roof and you need to start showing more respect to me...your father...our rules”

“...Yeah” She read that message loud and clear when Madison straight up kicked Amanda out of the house and took her electronics away.

“You know we love you…and”

A thought crossed Kimberly’s mind, a question that she spent so many years holding back, “Did you even want kids? I know how demanding your job is...I get it...it just makes me wonder if...you even _wanted_ me or if you did it because of your parents...because dad wanted kids”

Madison had to get off of the bed, she didn’t feel comfortable sitting in front of her daughter any more. “Kimberly.” She folded her hands and brought them up to her lips, clearly perplexed and anxious about the question. “Your dad had such big dreams of a family like his...we had it all planned...that I would take some time off...we had you and it looked like everything was going the course”

_But._

Kimberly tilted her head, concerned about what her mother was going to say next. “...What happened?”

“You were a _miracle”_ Madison had to be blunt, as if telling a patient the bad news, “You almost had a brother”

_Almost._

Kimberly’s heart sank, “What?” All of this time she pinned her mother as someone who had a kid to appease the other people in her life. It made pushing Madison away much easier… “You…”

“Had a miscarriage...had _several_ after that _”_ She added with a sigh, “I wasn’t meant to be a mother, my body made that _very_ clear. Each one took a toll...emotionally...physically. It was easier to drown myself in my work...to focus on rising up and I became the head of my department. You were always your father’s daughter, he poured _everything_ into making sure his princess got everything she wanted. I shut down.” It was why Madison could get whatever she wanted and Ted just backed off, or instantly supported her.  

“God... _mom…”_ Kimberly got up as well, she couldn’t simply sit there and watch her mother tear herself apart making this confession. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“We agreed to never tell you” Madison shook her head, “It seems a bit silly now” Kimberly took a step closer, but Madison put her hand up...she didn’t want to be consoled over the past. “But please, do not doubt for a second that I didn’t _want_ you...that I don’t _love_ you”

It was hard for Madison Hart, when her siblings had so many children of their own...when Ted’s siblings boasted about their multiple kids and what they were doing. Their dream of a family had to be adjusted, after that much loss it was hard for them to consider adoption or fostering so they dropped it all together.

"I'm so sorry" Kimberly’s voice dropped to a murmur, everything sort of  _clicked_ in her mind now that she knew the truth, “This house is so cold...you only let dad have _fish…_ ”

“Oh no” Madison had to chuckle, the laughter allowed her to finally let her guard down enough to let stray tears fall. “You are _not_ going to convince me to let your father have a dog. No, our house is _far_ too nice to have a _puppy_ running around”

“I’m not a kid anymore...and dad…” Kimberly didn’t _want_ to be the one to say it, but Madison wasn’t the only one to lose a child. “He doesn’t spend much time at home either...he golfs...he goes to the country club...living his day to day...just getting by. Mom, he’s _sad_...maybe just let him have this one thing”

Kimberly knew what it was like to go through the motions. After Megan moved, she was ready to party and drink her way through the next two years until graduation. To let college be her chance to start over...at Ted’s stage in life. There was no natural next stage of life. There were no do-over buttons.

“We’ll _see._ I’m not making any promises on that front.” Madison loved the way her living room looked, her kitchen, her perfectly laid out house. “But I can say this...I will try to make it to your games...if there’s an opening in my day and I can get out for an hour or so I will.” She shook her head, “My days, I only have so many. I have to choose wisely”

Madison would have to make some sort of compromise, she stepped forward and rested her hands on her shoulders, “If you make it to the championships, I will take off the time”

“You really mean that?”

“Yes, I do” She smiled, brushing a lock of Kimberly’s hair behind her ear, “I am _so_ proud of the young woman you’re becoming. We’ve both made some mistakes in our past...but no more hiding from me...okay?”

Kimberly nodded her head, a silent acceptance, “Hey, there’s a new Indian place opening up in Amber Beach if you wanted to check it out sometime” She offered, a simple plan to make dinner, an olive branch. “Just you and me?”

Madison paused to think about it, “Alright, but if it’s awful, I hope you’re fully prepared for me to leave a one star rating and a scathing review” She took her cuisine _very_ seriously. Madison glanced at Kimberly’s clock behind her, they had talked well into the morning, “Goodnight Kimberly...please...don’t be a stranger”

“And don’t shut me out…”

Kimberly would have to work even harder at getting the Angel Grove Lady Tigers to the state championships if it meant her mom would finally see her pitching a game. She wasn’t proud of the girl she was in the past, but she wanted to _show_ her mom that she wasn’t the monster anymore. Kimberly made mistakes, everyone does, but she wasn’t going to let that bring her down...getting into a _good_ college wouldn’t be easy...but her dreams of becoming a surgeon like her mother never wavered. She wanted to help people...she only got a little lost along the way.

“...I love you mom…” Kimberly wiped her eye, she hated that she couldn’t remember the last time she had the chance to say it, “Goodnight”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you know, next chapter is to co-inside with Chapter 24: G


	4. Dr. Hart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel Gomez's heart attack flipped everyone's world upside down. It left Kimberly stuck in the middle...worried for not only Trini at the opportunity for losing her father, but for her own mother Dr. Hart for being the doctor on the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay here we go! the companion piece for chapter 24 of Wild Pitch. <3 <3 <3 Hope you all enjoy!

Playing at the Dragons Nest felt like the good old days where baseball was _fun_ and laughs could be shared by friends. The baseball team and the softball team could put the stress of the boys vs girls and rivalry week behind them. It was nice to unwind, to be in a safe space where it was just them and the people they loved. No alcohol, no smartphones or social media, just the game they all loved. That was the most relaxed Tommy appeared in a _long_ while. His team had forgiven him for pushing them too far...Kimberly knew all too well what it meant to try to earn trust again. She could only hope he would continue to make strides…a part of her wondered if he would ever return to the Sandlot gang...or if those bridges were burnt beyond repair.

Still, Kimberly hated to see that spring break come to an end. There were only two games left of the softball season before playoffs would start. The school year would be on a fast track to end, sweet, sweet summer vacation was on the horizon. Oh Kimberly couldn’t _wait_ for _break._ There’d be way more San Diego trips, as well as plenty more _beach trips._ Tori promised that she would teach Kim the fundamentals of surfing and she wasn’t going to let that offer go by the wayside. Nice weather, fun, and _no_ school. Kimberly would be getting her Saturdays back...no more detention sentence. She would have _fully_ paid for her crimes against Megan.

When she returned to her home she went straight to the kitchen to grab some purified water. “Hey dad” Her smile was wide upon seeing her father sitting in the kitchen. He looked a bit worse for wear, stressed beyond belief. Maybe talking about the mixed bag boys vs girls game went would cheer him up. “Is everything okay?”

“Kimberly” What? No Princess? Sweetheart? That alone sounded alarms in Kimberly’s head. “Please, ah, sit down. I have some news that I need to tell you”

“O-kay” Who was this pod person and what have they done with her happy go lucky father? Kimberly took her glass of water and sat at the island, awaiting what her father was going to say. “What have I done now?” She asked, assuming that like always---she was in trouble for _something._

“No, no, you haven’t done anything wrong” He scratched the back of his head, letting out a gentle sigh before saying the five words that would undoublety freeze Kimberly’s world, “Mr. Gomez had a heart attack”

He wasn’t kidding, no smile, no joke. Why would he kid about something like that? Oh god. Oh _god._ How did he even know? Should they go to the hospital? Why didn’t Trini tell her? Did Trini even know...Kimberly should _not_ be the one to have to tell her...to give her that bad news. Shit. Kimberly stepped forward and hugged her father, taking the moment to cherish how quickly life could change...she was lucky that _he_ wasn’t the one in the hospital bed.

She couldn’t _imagine_ what Trini was going through, Kimberly didn’t want to imagine a world where her father wasn’t in it.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay” Ted rubbed Kimberly’s back, trying to do his best to comfort her with empty promises. He didn’t know, but he had hopes that everything would be just fine. People survived heart attacks all the time after all… “Your mother has taken the case”

Kimberly instantly pulled away from the hug, her eyes wide, “What?” The stakes were suddenly much higher. If Dr. Madison Hart failed...if Mr. Gomez died...would Trini ever be able to look at Kimberly the same way? Amanda Clark could never forgive Tommy Oliver for the actions of his father...Tommy didn’t exactly make that situation any easier.

“She’s his best chance…” He knew that, and deep down Kimberly knew it as well. “So, you and I have to be there for her...support her...support the family”

Kimberly nodded her head, still a bit numb from the shock of the news, “I can’t believe this is happening” She felt like she needed to do something, _anything._

Ted sighed, “I know” Just last week they were at the Gomez house having Easter dinner. Gabriel Gomez was fine, smiling, laughing...completely unaware of the ticking time bomb in his chest. It finally gave in… “We have to remain positive...both for Trini” He rubbed the back of his neck, “And for your mother”

*****

When Kimberly returned to her room she immediately brought out her phone. She felt like she needed to tell someone, _anyone_ of what was going on with Trini. Though, at the same time, she knew her girlfriend was an extremely private person...maybe she didn’t want people to know of her family crisis. The last thing Kimberly wanted to do was make Trini upset by going behind her back...ha...that would be a bit hypocritical of her to do. Texting a group message to the softball girls would be out…

It felt a bit wrong to leave the likes of Jason, Billy, and Amanda in the dark...they deserved to know what was going on, but maybe it shouldn’t come from Kimberly... _Zack._ Zack could tell them. Kimberly wanted to make her one phone call count. Lauren. If anyone should know about what’s going on, it should be the captain of the softball team. Kimberly remembered the days when _she_ was considered a captain...her squad did just fine out on the mat, but were they comfortable going to her with personal problems? Probably not...the past Kimberly Hart couldn’t be trusted with secrets that weren’t her own.

“Hello?” Lauren sounded a bit confused as she answered the call. It was fair, someone like Kimberly didn’t reach out to the other girl one on one very often. That and people didn’t _call_ Lauren very often, a text message sure… “Kim?”

“Hey, sorry, I know it’s late” And the fact that she just _saw_ Lauren a couple of hours ago, “I have something I need to tell you. Are you in a good spot?”

“...Are you okay?”

“Trini’s father had a heart attack...he’s in surgery right now” That was all she knew, “I thought you should know, maybe talk to coach or…” Take care of things.

Silence was on the other line. Did Lauren hear her? Was the call quality okay?

“Did you hear me?”

Another long pause, Kimberly could hear a sharp intake of breath on the other line…. “Yeah”

Kimberly closed her eyes and immediately chastised herself. She should have called Mia. The president of the GSA would be the one to go to in a family emergency. She’d be the one to keep a cool, level head as she’d inform the rest of the family of the terrible news. Lauren...all this did was bring Lauren back to a moment where a doctor told her that there was nothing more that they could do...that both of her parents were lost. _Orphan._

“I’m sorry I didn’t think…”

“No...no you were right to call me” Lauren had responsibilities as a captain, even if she was reliving the horrors of her past, she had a duty to her team. To her _friend._ “Thank you”

“Are you okay?”

“...I’m the last person you need to worry about. I’ll be okay. I’ll take care of things...you take care of _her.”_

As the girlfriend, a lot would be resting on her shoulders to support Trini. Kimberly was ready for that, to be everything and anything that she needed to be. Trini had supported her through her darkest days during first semester. Kimberly could be the rock that Trini needed, an anchor to keep her from drifting away.

*****

Kimberly didn’t hear anything from Trini, or her _mother_ for that matter. When Dr. Hart handled particularly difficult cases she tended to shut everyone in her life out. She didn’t like coming home, seeing her husband and daughter, any reminders that _she_ had a family to come home to when her patient might not be so lucky. With a case like Mr. Gomez, Madison would have a difficult time compartmentalizing her emotions.

As far as being there for Trini, Kimberly did what she could. If Trini needed her space, Kimberly would back off. If Trini wanted her near...wanted her _close,_ she’d be there in a heartbeat. There were little things as well, Kim was sure to bring bright flowers for room 324...she wanted to give the Gomez’s some contrast to the white sterile walls of the hospital. She would join the family for dinner and keep conversation flowing with Zack, anything to keep the dangerous silence away.

When Kimberly made an effort to visit her mother, she made sure it was after school---after _practice,_ so she wouldn’t get in trouble for skipping. Since _Dr. Hart_ was spending her nights at the hospital, Kimberly wanted to bring her a set of her favorite teas to have some semblance of comfort during this difficult time. She wanted to contribute _something,_ be there for her mother when the pressure was at a sky high.

Only Dr. Madison Hart wasn’t _in_ her office. Kimberly set the box of different teas down on her desk and decided to take a look around. She didn’t really _come_ to the hospital often. Why would a teenage girl bother? With softball practice, homework, Netflix and wanting to hang out with her friends; visiting her mother at work wasn’t really high on her priority list. Kimberly pulled Maddy’s beautiful black leather chair out so she could sit at her desk. So this was what power felt like. Head of cardiology, not too shabby.

A computer, some paperwork, property of Angel Grove Hospital. Blah, blah, blah...yadda, yadda, yadda….what caught Kimberly’s eye was a framed photo sitting on Madison’s desk. It was by her computer to keep herself motivated, a picture of Ted and Kimberly from when Kimberly was first starting cheer camp. Kimberly picked the photo off of the desk so she could get a closer look at it, _God_ this was so long ago. Her father looked as dorky as ever, while naive Kimberly in her pink skirt and pom poms had _no_ idea what was in store for her future. When she returned the picture frame to it’s place, she noticed a pink post-it note covered by paperwork. _For them._

The door to the office opened suddenly, startling Kimberly so badly that she almost slid out of the chair. She wasn’t supposed to be sitting in her mom’s office like this. Kimberly was a _visitor,_ not the head of cardiology. Purple scrubs, thick black glasses, brown hair in a ponytail. Kimberly could sigh a breath of relief when the disturbance of her peace came from none other than Dr. Kendall Morgan...her mother’s intern. “You’re not Dr. Hart” Not _yet._

“Kendall” Kimberly rested a hand on her chest, having to catch her breath, “You scared the hell out of me”

“That’s _Dr. Morgan_ to you” The intern stepped into the office and closed the door behind her to give the pair some sense of privacy. In the walls of the hospital, Kendall took her title as a doctor very seriously. Even if she was only at the intern level. “What’re you doing in here anyway?”

“I was looking for my mom” Kimberly stated as if that was obvious, her hand reached onto her desk where she left the box of teas, “She hadn’t come home yet…” She trailed off, Dr. Morgan was working her ass off too to keep Mr. Gomez afloat. “I thought I’d bring her something nice”

Kendall glanced up to the clock against the wall, she had some time to kill before she was needed anywhere else, “Do you want some company?” She asked cautiously, “It may be awhile before your mom gets out of her meeting”

“Yeah, sure” Kimberly shrugged, she didn’t have anything against Kendall...well...maybe she had _one_ thing against the surgical intern. To Kimberly, it always felt like Madison knew her interns and her fellows more than her own daughter. Kendrix and Kendall were the apples of her eye. _They_ were the ones that Madison bragged about at dinner parties. Kendrix Morgan, Madison’s fellow was directly under Madison...learning her every technique to teach the future of medicine. Dr. Hart treated these two women like her own daughters… “Were you looking for my mom?”

“I needed Dr. Hart’s signature on a couple of things” She took a seat in one of the more _uncomfortable_ chairs, the ones meant for _guests_ of Madison Hart. “But they can wait”

“...How are things?” Kimberly asked curiously, knowing of Gabriel Gomez’s relapse.

“You know I can’t talk about a patient’s status” Kendall folded her hands, resting her head back in the chair to try and get as comfortable as possible.

“Then let me rephrase this” Kimberly walked around the desk so she could sit in the chair beside the other woman, “How are _you_ doing?” She asked, it was obvious to see that the intern was tired, “...How is _she_ doing?”

“Your mother’s a brilliant woman” The intern glanced over to Dr. Hart’s daughter, “I know you’re worried, but I can _promise_ you that she’s pulling out all the stops for your girlfriend’s dad”

“She ah…” Kim paused, tilting her head to the side, her eyes squinting, “How did you know she’s my girlfriend?”

The other woman lightly chuckled to herself, “Well, one it’s obvious. Two...surgerys are long, we spend hours with one another. You don’t think Kimberly Hart has ever come up in conversation?” Kendall sat up, fixing her posture, “She’s proud of you, you know. Dr. Hart..she’s helped me through my own _personal_ “journey”.” The intern folded her arms, “I was the first one in my family to come out as anything other than straight...”

“Oh uhm” Kimberly glanced down to the ground, she knew the Morgan family pretty well over the years. Very upper class white family who have silent expectations, and talk about one another behind each other’s back. “Welcome to the club”

“She helped give me the courage to _do it._ I can never thank her enough for that” Kendall glanced down, “I’d almost change my specialty if it meant working under her longer, but…” Like Kimberly, Dr. Kendall Morgan would rather be working orthopedics.

“What did she say?” Kimberly asked curiously, “To help you…” It wasn’t often Kimberly had a chance to hear about her mother in her territory through the eyes of someone else.

“Her marriage at the time was _pretty_ radical” Kimberly knew all too well about the story of when Ted brought Maddy home from med school for the first time... _and_ when Maddy brought _Ted_ home to her parents. It wasn’t _easy_ in the slightest, both immediate families were cautious of the relationship. The couple faced multiple roadblocks socially, “And she was the one to call _her_ parents to tell them that you’re in a new relationship”

“I’m sorry, _what?”_ Kimberly had _no_ idea that her extended family knew and oh boy, when _one_ person on her mother’s side of the family knew _some_ gossip it was only a matter of time before the rest of the family would find out. “She did _what?”_

“Mm” Kendall assumed that Kimberly knew, so the intern took a moment before responding, “Well, she couldn’t exactly _brag_ about your last boyfriend”

“She was _bragging_ about Trini?” Then again, she and her father had been holding a bet to see if Kimberly and Trini were dating...after the Cassie incident at baseball camp, the two parents were well prepared for the idea of their daughter bringing home a _girlfriend_ one day.

“Trini, the _varsity_ softball team. How you’ve taken initiative to build a website to restore your softball field...you have the makings of a real leader” Dr. Morgan folded her hands, “You have a new _air_ to you, a self confidence that you didn’t have before…”

“She’s _extremely_ proud of you too y’know” Kimberly could share similar stories of the intern, “And your sister...that you two are some of the most brilliant women that she’s ever taught” Kendall’s brown eyes went wide at the compliment, “Ha, she actually wants _you_ to be the one to mentor me when I become an intern”

The other doctor laughed, of course Dr. Hart would come up with _some_ spin for it being okay for Kendall to not follow through with cardiology. At the core of it, Kendall didn’t want to be in her sister Kendrix’s shadow...as Kimberly didn’t want to _constantly_ be compared to Madison. “Yeah?” Kendall knew that it was a high honor, she smiled to herself at the praise, “It’d be a nice change of pace to boss around a _Dr. Hart”_

 _Dr. Hart._ Dr. Kimberly Hart had a nice ring to it, didn’t it? “I’m so worried that my suspension will ruin my chances at an ivy. I know how competitive the medical field can be…” She wasn’t even taking honors biology, “I’m scared that I won’t be able to make the cut”

“Keep going in the direction you’re going, becoming a _team captain,_ will look excellent on your applications. Volunteer. Your junior year is going to be extremely important when it comes to standardized tests…” Kendall had to recall back to _her_ high school days, and how much the game has changed since then, “Every kid applying for college is going to have the grade point average, you have to set yourself apart. Why should a university want Kimberly Hart? They’re looking for applicants who are well rounded” She took a moment, thinking about her next words before saying, “If you need help with your application essays, I can take a look at them”

“You’d do that?”

“If Dr. Madison Hart is entrusting _me_ to become your teacher…” Kendall trailed off, her lips turning upward in a smirk, “It’s about time I _start_ the process, ahead of the curve. My surgical intern isn’t going to a _state_ school” She pointed her finger to the floor, Madison’s office was just above the cafeteria, “They’ll eat you alive”

Dr. Morgan stood to her feet, she should be returning to her job, her rounds. “I know, she doesn’t get to spend much time with you as she’d like...but she follows your games as much as she can…” She glanced to the ground, “Here on the floor, in OR rooms...we’re all each other has. We’re a team. We’re the force that says _no_ when death comes knocking, _not today._ We go through hell, we go through loss, we go through the high of beating the odds...that’s the nature of our job. We’re on the front lines...bonds form…but know that I’m _not_ her daughter, neither is Kendrix. At the end of the day we’re just her students. You’re always her number one”

As the intern decided this was the time to take her leave, she started walking to the office door pausing to add a, “And Kim?”

“Hm?”

 _“Please,_ start going to a batting cage. Your on base percentage is embarrassing” She added, smiling despite her words, “We’re all pulling for you here #14, good luck against Reefside” With that note, the surgical intern closed the door behind her and went back into the fray. There were lives that needed saving after all.

Kimberly decided to wait a couple more minutes after Kendall’s leave. She knew how her mom worked, she could be waiting here for _hours._ If Madison wanted to come to her office to unwind, she’d want to be alone...Kimberly snagged one of her pink post-its and wrote a note to stick on the top of her gift box of tea flavorings.

_Here’s some of your favorites. I know this is hard, but I believe in you. If anyone’s going to come out of this on top it’s you.  I love you- Kimberly_

 

*****

It had been some time since Kimberly had seen her mother, let alone talked to her. She sat in her kitchen wondering if Madison even received her gift. Kimberly couldn’t _imagine_ what thoughts were running through her mom’s head...she tries so hard to keep the personal out of her professional work. To keep it strictly science. Dr. Hart didn’t want to break her method, especially _now_ on such an important case. It meant shutting her daughter out, her husband out and for Kimberly on the sidelines it meant she had to sit and wait.

Though while she worried about her mother, she had to worry about the _other_ side of things. Trini. Mrs. Gomez. Gabe and Michael. They were going through their own hell, not knowing when the other shoe would drop...not knowing if Gabriel would be coming home. The softball girls and the sandlot boys did whatever they could to try to make this time easier, but there was only so much the outside could do. No. The ones who could make the _real_ difference were Dr. Hart and her team. They were the ones flipping the coin, rolling the dice...fixing the broken.

A knock at the front door startled Kimberly from her thoughts. She quickly grew irritated when her guest started to press the doorbell multiple times until she opened the door with an angry, _“What?”_

Gia Moran stood, a huge smirk on her face, oh she knew she was being a total asshole with the doorbell. “Hey Hart”

“You know, my _mom_ could have been sleeping” Kimberly narrowed her eyes, if that were the case and she were so rudely awakened that would’ve set her off like no tomorrow.

“As if your mom is at home right now” Gia let herself into the humble Hart abode, “I wanted to stop by, see how you’re doing during all of this” She waved her hand in the air, trying to encompass _this_ in one simple gesture.

“...You came to see _me?”_ Kimberly followed Gia into her kitchen, straight to her fridge when her unannounced guest grabbed a bottle of water as if she were at home. _“I’m_ fine...it’s Trini who’s going through hell…you should be at her place...”

“Wrong” Gia poked Kimberly’s chest, “Your dad may not be at the hospital, but don’t give me that bullshit that _you’re_ not going through this too” She shook her head, “Trini’s got the whole world waiting on bated breath for her, but who’s looking out for _you?”_

Kimberly frowned, “I’m fine”

“No, you have to be _strong_ right now, you have to be the anchor. All of her weight is falling on _you_ right now and you have to smile and take it; make sure she gets through this okay...I _get_ it” Gia tilted her head to the side, “I’m here to make sure you’re still breathing. I’m here to be in _your_ corner”

“But Trini…”

“Please, the last thing _Trini_ wants is for everyone to crowd her space. Emma’s at home right now making her family cookies. I care, I do, _believe_ me. I know she’s going through the worst hell right now...and I’ll be there in my own way...but you chose me back during tryouts. Your feelings are valid too” Gia opened her water bottle and took a seat at the kitchen island, “I’m here for _you_ Kimberly. For whatever you need. You want to vent your worst thoughts out to someone? I’m your girl. You want to take a drive to the coast? Buy some alcohol and take some shots? Awesome. I’ll grab my keys. You want to do some Lauren-bullshit and sit under a waterfall, I’ll curse you out the whole time but I will do it.”

“It’s hard” Kimberly glanced down, it was _so_ much resting on her shoulders, “All of this is _so_ hard…” She glanced down to the counter, “If my mom can’t make this work, she’s _my_ mom...how is Trini ever going to be able to forgive her? To _look_ at _me_ without seeing her dad...fuck” The pitcher ran a hand through her hair, “The stakes are so high and I can’t lose. I can’t lose _her._ It’s selfish and I’m awful person but I’ve spent _years_ without her and I can’t…”

“Whoa” Gia got to her feet and instantly got up to embrace her teammate. All Kimberly wanted to do was breakdown, but knew in the back of her mind that would make her the terrible person. She wasn’t the one who’s father was in the hospital, but she sure felt like the weight of the world was going to trust her, “I’m right here, I’m right here” The blonde murmured, rubbing her back as Kimberly rested her forehead on the other girl’s shoulder, “You get snot on my shirt and I’m kicking your ass”

That earned a choked laugh out of the pitcher, “I’m scared” She was finally proud of herself, she couldn’t bear the thought of crumbling down and starting all over. Kimberly was terrified of going under again….terrified of losing Mr. Gomez, terrified of losing her girlfriend as a result. It was selfish, so utterly selfish but the only scenario that ran through her mind was a _worst case scenario_ possibility. That Trini could look at her the same way Amanda looked at the likes of Tommy Oliver. “I hate this”

“Just let it out…” Gia made Kimberly feel safe to share the darkest of her thoughts. As hot headed, self centered and downright bitchy Gia could come off...at her core she was one of the most loyal people that Kimberly had ever met. The softball team was like a sorority, through a sisterhood these ten girls would be forever bonded. “It’s okay to cry…” Kimberly’s pain was easily overshadowed by what the Gomez family was going through, she didn’t _want_ to take any of that away from them...but she wasn’t as strong as she thought she was….and she still hadn’t heard anything from her mother.

“I’m afraid…” Kimberly heaved in a deep breath, “I’m afraid that if something happens….” If Gabriel Gomez died, “I’ll never be able to look at my mom again...I’ll never be able to forgive her” That was something she had kept from Trini, a secret she was keeping from _everyone._ Gia wouldn’t judge her for feeling like this. Kimberly could just _picture_ the way Jason, Zack or Billy would look at her if she even _tried_ to make it about her and not _Trini._ Gia was giving her the option to vent it all out. “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t” Gia pulled away from the hug, holding onto Kimberly’s forearms with purpose, “You don’t need to apologize to me” The blonde tilted her head to the side, green eyes scanning over Kimberly in concern, “You feeling better?”

“I feel a little lighter, yeah…” She wiped her eye with the back of her hand.

“Mhmm” Gia patted Kimberly’s arm, the second baseman wasn’t the _best_ when it came to an out pour of emotions. “What I’m here for” She turned away from Kimberly so she could grab the water bottle from the counter, “Hey, if you’re interested in blowing off some steam...the GSA are hosting a bowling night and…”

“I’m sorry has hell frozen over?” Kimberly couldn’t help but laugh as she wiped tears away from her eyes, _“You’re_ going to a _GSA_ event?”

“Oh, trust me, I don’t want to _go...but_ Emma insists and right now” Gia shrugged her shoulders, “We could use a little something fun” A pause, “...If you come too it’ll suck a little less”

“I guess it couldn’t hurt…” Kimberly had to admit getting out of the house would be a good idea. It’d be nice to _be_ somewhere without thinking of what was to come, an escape for a couple of hours. A bonus to that would be spending time with Mia and Emma...maybe Trini would be there too… “But if I throw my arm out coach is going to _kill_ me”

Gia couldn’t help but smile, “That’s okay, we can give you _bumpers”_ The senior stepped backwards, “Now if you excuse me, I need to change because if I’m going to be hanging out with the likes of the _GSA._ I’m at least going to be the hottest person in the group”

Kimberly rolled her eyes, not if she had anything to say about it. Gia wasn’t the _only_ girl on the softball team that looked good in leather...Kimberly chose to rock a vest as opposed to a signature jacket like Gia. She wasn’t going to let the second basemen leave without a final word, “...Thanks Gia”

The blonde’s expression softened, “You keep your chin up for Trini, for your family...but if you ever need me...I don’t care what time it is or where I am, text me...call me…”

“Now look who’s getting sentimental” Kimberly teased, knowing Gia wasn’t the type to actually _show_ affection much. Despite her teasing she sent the other girl a smile, silent gratitude for her presence. She knew she made the right call that day she chose _Gia_ to be her peer mentor.

*****

The Angel Grove Lady Tigers beat the Reefside Sharks that afternoon. A win in the record book guaranteed them a number one seed spot in the regional tournament. This should be an afternoon of celebration, of going to Watkins ice cream and using up a Lady Tiger win discount coupon but instead everyone _waited_ until they heard the good news. Gabriel Gomez made it out of surgery and was in recovery. It was a _good_ outcome. Dr. Madison Hart, her fellow, her intern and the rest of the team had done it...they stood strong and told death _no, not today._

Kimberly sat on the couch, sitting, waiting for her parents to return from the hospital. She hadn’t even changed out of her uniform yet. She continuously looked to her phone’s clock and away, checked her messages and nothing...where were they? How long would it take her mom to end her shift? When would she finally be _home..._ Kimberly hadn’t seen her in a _week._ The last text message she received was a simple _thank you_ for the teas she had given.

The garage door opened and immediately Kimberly was to her feet, she quickly headed to the kitchen to meet her mother and father. Here at home, Madison didn’t have to be _Dr. Hart,_ she could let her guard down, sit down in the recliner and _relax._ She was done. She was absolutely done with the worst week of her year. Kimberly didn’t waste any time, she approached her mom and hugged her as tightly as possible. She did it! She saved her girlfriend’s father, she had a good outcome. Madison rested her hands on her daughter’s back...this was the second time Kimberly embraced her like this in years…

Madison looked to her husband, extending a hand out to him to include him in this Hart family moment. Ted shook his head, he’d rather sandwich his wife by hugging her from behind. This one took a toll on _everyone_ in the family. No words needed to be said. Father and daughter simply wanted to _be_ there for this beautiful, talented matriarch.

The accomplished surgeon closed her eyes and released a sigh, “You can get a dog” She murmured, much to her husband’s delight, “A _small_ dog, that _I_ approve on”

Kimberly pulled away from the hug first, allowing her mother access to the kitchen; and most importantly a bottle of wine to share with her husband. “What? ...What changed your mind?” She asked. Kimberly was used to living in a house where Ted was only allowed to keep _fish._ A dog or a cat was too much for Madison’s tastes.

Madison glanced past her daughter to where her husband stood, he was already on his phone looking up different breeds, “Life is too short to dwell on the losses” Ted glanced up, knowing _exactly_ what she was referring to. He was at his wife’s side, leaning over to kiss the side of her head. “This week has been extremely eye opening to say the least” She poured herself a glass of wine, and another for her husband, “It’s time we do better...as a family…”

“So...we’re getting a dog?” Kimberly slowly asked, trying to clarify. It only earned her a look from Ted, a _why are you testing a good thing?_ As if Madison would take it all back.

“We’ve lost sight of what’s important... _I’ve_ lost sight” This whole week, Madison had some time to sit and reflect on her own family situation. If she had died...if she lost _Ted_ what would the Harts have? Not much...they’d drift apart...they’d fracture in a way that could never recover. They weren’t a strong family unit, not like the Gomez family. She saw patients and their families every day with her job, but none shook them to her core like Gabriel Gomez. “Besides, we’re going to need _someone_ here when you go off to college”

Madison wanted to prepare for the loss of _Kimberly,_ for Ted and herself to be _empty nesters._ What better way than to bring a _new_ life into the house? They had long passed the idea of trying to have another child, adopting a child, fostering a child...it was too much...the pain was overwhelming...but a puppy? ...That could be doable.

Kimberly and Ted exchanged an excited glance. Three souls in this house had silently suffered long enough. Kimberly spent _years_ feeling alone in this house. Madison buried her sorrows into her career, while Ted? He just did whatever he could to pick up the pieces, smiling even when his own heart was hurting. He didn’t get the big family he wanted, neither did Madison. What they did have was a marriage, one that never broke apart, despite the hardships they faced. They had their child, their miracle in Kimberly...this was the hand they were dealt and it was time they make a big play and expand their family by one.

“You are fully responsible for this”

“Okay.” Ted nodded his head, “I’ll walk it-”

“No, no. I’ll walk it” Kimberly was quick to volunteer, she loved her jogs in the morning. If Trini wouldn’t go with her...she could easily be replaced. “You can take it outside at 4 in the morning”

Madison couldn’t help but chuckle as she watched her father and daughter go back and forth with what they _wanted_ to do to take care of a hypothetical dog. Light, excitement, Madison could feel that she made the right choice by allowing her husband the opportunity to adopt a dog...to bring warmth back into the Hart home that had been lost for so long.  
  
It was time to start _living_ again. It was time to start _feeling_ like a family again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The future's looking bright for the Hart family...now that the darkness is behind them, they can only grow and stand tall. :D
> 
> <3 <3 <3 Back to the main story.

**Author's Note:**

> Back to the mainfic with chapter 22.


End file.
